John cham



. .Ziff/7g NAPETERS. PHOTO-LITHOCRAPHEH, WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN CRAM, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JNO. CRAM AND JNO. S. CRAM.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 13,479, dated August 21, 1855.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CRAMof Boston, in the county of Suolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Chairs, Seats, Tables, or other Articles of Like Character; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, letters, figures, and references thereof.

In order to illustrate my invention, I have exhibited it in its application to a port-able or folding chair, of which- Figure 1, denotes a side elevation as 1t appears when unfolded or in a position for use; Fig. 2, is a vertical, central and longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3 is a side view of it, when it is folded together; Fig. 4, is a rear view of it, under such circumstances; Fig. 5, is a front view of the chair when unfolded.

In these drawings A, represents t-he platform or seat of the chair; B, the back thereof, and C, C', the back legs, they being made to project downward from the back as seen in the drawings. Extending directly across these legs and between them are what may be termed the front or turning legs, D, D', they being connected together by one or more round bars or rods and made to turn on two rods, b, 0, arranged as seen in the drawings. The rod, Z9, as well as two other rods, CZ, d, serve to connect the two back legs, C, C', togetherthe rod, c, being made to extend from between the two check pieces, f, f, affixed to the underside of the seat or platform as seen in the drawings. Connecting the seat or platform with the back legs and turning freely on two rods, e, and, g, are two bars or links E, E, which are disposed as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 4, the bar, g, being carried from one to other of the cheeks, f. lVhen the seat A, is in a horizontal position, it rests on one or more shoulders z', z', or an equivalent thereof, the connecting bars E, E', under such circumstances being horizontal or nearly so and serving to prevent the two sets of legs from spreading apart from one another. By turning freely on the rods, g, the turning bars or links E, E',

admit the chair legs and seat to be folded together or to assume positions with respect to one another as seen in Fig. 3.

In order to maintain the chair in an unfolded position or one wherein its seat is arranged horizontally the said seat may be caused to abut against a back bar, F, which furnished with a suitable bolt, G, or one which will serve to conne the seat to the said back or bar so as to prevent the former from being elevated, while the bolt may extend through it.

It is not necessary to my invention that it should be provided with a back B, as a folding camp stool, table or seat may be made on the principle hereinbefore described, and so as to be folded together into a very small compass, and thus be very portable.

I do not lay claim to the broad ground of making a chair so that its parts may fold together; nor do I claim the mode of arranging and combining or connecting the parts of a folding chair-wherein the seat is made a part of the back legs and is not connected to them by the turning or front legs and connecting links as is the case in a chair which has been the subject of an application for a patent by one J. Middleton-my claim resting on my particular mode as above described by which I make a folding chair, such not being analogous to that described in said Middletons specification and represented in his drawings.

I-Iaving described my invention I would remark that what I claim consists in- Combining the platform or seat, A, wit-h the back legs C, C', by means of the turning or frontlegs, D, D, and the connecting links or bars E, E', and so that said seat or platform may be either turned down horizontally so as to be supported on both sets of legs, or they and the seat be folded together substantially in manner as above set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature this twentieth day of April JOHN CRAM. Vitnesses:

F. P. HALE, Jr., W. F. RICE. 

